The Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the University of Oldenburg jointly
founded the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB). For the establishment
of HIFMB, we invite applications for a joint W3-professor position in

Ecosystem Informatics

HIFMB develops the scientific basis for marine conservation and marine ecosystem management by analysing the functional
role of biodiversity in marine ecosystem and understanding the general principles constraining this role. The Institute thereby
establishes the necessary knowledge and tools to predict future changes in biodiversity and ecosystem function and to analyse
their consequences for human well-being. The development of HIFMB is embedded in the existing research excellence of AWI
and the University of Oldenburg in marine biodiversity research, comprising research groups at the Institute for Chemistry and
Biology of the Marine Environment at the University of Oldenburg and the Biosciences at AWI. HIFMB offers a rich intellectual
environment and excellent research opportunities (www.hifmb.de). Specifically, each professorship will be equipped with
allocated
scientific personnel and be further able to apply for internal resources for cross-disciplinary projects. The region
around Bremen and Oldenburg hosts more than 1000 marine scientists, offering broad interdisciplinary collaboration potential
across universities and research institutions.

The Professor in Ecosystem Informatics is expected to establish the link between data, biodiversity assessment and ecosystem
functions with high international visibility. The understanding of marine biodiversity and its trends relies on a limited set of
long-term data which only partly qualify to assess the role of biodiversity in complex interaction and ecosystem functions.
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the amount and complexity of data generated. The position thereby is fundamental
to the development of HIFMB and includes strong interactions to the existing expertise in AWI and the University of Oldenburg.
We expect candidates to develop new tools and pathways combining and integrating biodiversity- and process-related data to
allow understanding of biotic and abiotic processes in marine systems, ranging from cellular levels to interaction networks. A
successful candidate needs excellent competence and experience in the development of bioinformatics tools, data integration,
and network analyses. For this, experience in data management, data analysis, statistics and experience with different data
types from molecular data [(meta-)omics] to spatially and temporally resolved observations is useful. We further expect a distinct
interest in bringing this research topic into an interdisciplinary research agenda and to communicate concepts for data
integration with empirical and theoretical researchers, also outside the natural sciences. Candidates are expected to represent
the subject Ecosystem Informatics in teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels.

Applicants must have the necessary formal qualifications as set out in § 25 of Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz. Candidates
are required to hold an excellent PhD in bioinformatics or a related field and to have additional research and teaching qualification
at university level proven by a pertinent habilitation, assistant professorship or an equivalent scientific track record in
ecosystem informatics, including publications in leading international peer-reviewed journals, integration in the international
research community and professional work experience abroad. Applicants are requested to show their ability and willingness
to participate in integrative and interdisciplinary research projects. They need to have experience and potential in the acquisition
of third-party funded projects. Distinct teaching experience and didactic abilities have to be shown. Proficiency in English
is mandatory. We expect the successful candidate to acquire German within two years. Given the current research focus of AWI
and the University of Oldenburg on polar and temperate seas, research expertise in these regions is helpful.

International applications are explicitly welcome. To increase the proportion of women in science equally qualified female
candidates will be given preference. Applicants with disabilities will be preferentially considered in case of equal qualification.

Applications, including a curriculum vitae, qualifying documentation (final academic records, list of publications, evidence of
external funding, teaching experience, prizes) and a research plan as well as a teaching plan should be submitted by email in a
single PDF-file to berufungenHIFMB@uni-oldenburg.de. Closing date is Wednesday, 11 April 2018.